Dec. 2, 2006

Box Score

Fairfax, Va.--George Mason University's women's basketball team captured a 61-44 win over Siena at the Patriot Center Saturday afternoon. With this victory, the Patriots improve to 2-2 on the year, while Siena falls to 1-6 overall.

Mason took its first lead of the game about four minutes into the contest after junior forward Moni Akintunde (Laurel, Md.), who netted a game-high 17 points, made a 2-pointer to put the score at 6-5. After being tied, 9-9, junior guard Lateisha Wade (Willingboro, N.J.) made back-to-back buckets to give Mason a 14-9 advantage at the 13:53 mark.

With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, Akintunde netted a trey off a pass from junior guard Casey Quigley (Springfield, Va.) to put the score at 24-15 in favor of the Patriots. After a turnover by Siena junior guard Melissa Manzer, Akintunde gave Mason its largest lead of the first stanza (11) with a made jumper and the Patriots went into the break with a 10-point lead (29-19).

Mason went on a 12-1 run in a five minute span, which was capped off by a made trey from senior forward Tracy Ann Holness (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to put the score at 48-32 at 9:18. The Patriots took their largest lead of the game (18) after junior C'Vette Henson (G; Annapolis, Md.) poured in one of Mason's seven made 3-pointers of the day at 5:31 to have the scoreboard read, 53-35. Sophomore center Jessica Smith (Dartmouth, Mass.) grabbed two of her career-high 10 rebounds in the last three minutes of the contest.

Siena junior forward Laura Menty led her team with 15 points after shooting 6-of-9 from the field, while freshman center Sarah Fullmer pulled down a team-best seven boards for the Saints.

Mason shot 44 percent (21-of-48) on the day, while the Siena shot 17-of-44 from the field. The Patriots had a slight advantage on the boards, 31-28, and 19 of Mason's caroms were on the defensive end.

The last time Mason held its opponent to under 50 points was on Feb. 26, 2006 when the Patriots defeated Towosn by a score of 50-45 in Fairfax.

The Patriots will return to action when they face Northeastern in Boston, Mass. on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. for Mason's first Colonial Athletic Association game of the 2006-07 campaign.